1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to furniture for use in a reverent atmosphere. More particularly, it relates to the type of furniture generically referred to as pews, for sanctuaries and the like, having seat and back rest carried by leg supports.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art has seen a relatively large number of pews for use in reverent atmospheres, as in sanctuaries, funeral homes, churches and the like. In general, the pews, regardless of whether or not they included wall structure for defining a family area, were of two major types. In the first type individual seats were employed. This is advantageous for the adults since greater comfort can be achieved; but is disadvantageous from other points of view, such as expense and having room for small children to lie down. The other major type was of the elongate seat variety conventionally associated with the word "pew" and illustrated in FIG. 1, described later hereinafter. In the latter type of pews, there has been very little change. The leg supports may be incorporated into the ends of the pews or placed separately from the end structures; integral with or separate from the arm rests. It has been conventional to employ a resilient padding and cover on the seat portion of the pews. Ordinarily, no padding is employed even on the front of the back rest. Insofar as I am aware, no pews have ever employed resilient padding and cover on the back thereof. Architects and engineers with whom I initially discussed designing furniture for use in sanctuaries or the like reported that fabric on the back of the pews would tend to change dimensions with changes in temperature and humidity, would sag and would become unsightly. Moveover, they said any fabric that would be emplaced on the back of the pews would be quickly worn and unsightly at the bottom and top because of rubbing of shoes and the like against the fabric adjacent and against the bottom of the back rest of the pew and hands and the like at the top of the back rest. Early trials bore out their predictions.
Moreover, a severe problem encountered in sanctuaries or the like desiring a reverent atmosphere and yet adequate hearing has been achieving a proper sound distribution. Heretofore, the structural design and layout included a plurality of stragetically spaced speakers around the periphery or in the ceiling of the sanctuary. These speakers were connected to a central amplifier that was connected with a microphone. Such systems had an uncomfortable and irreverent loudness in a portion of the sanctuary adjacent the speakers but too low a sound level at portions remote from these speakers. In addition, the delay of sound travel from distant speakers frequently caused interference patterns in the acoustics, particularly because of the loudness of the speakers. The problem is worsened by the conventional high noise level; for example, by returning hard back hymnals to hard wooden book racks.
The book racks also have posed a problem with cleaning small trash paper, like gun wrappers, debris and the like, therefrom. Such cleaning has been tedious and time-consuming or has required a powerful vacuum cleaner with a long hose or the like.
After many years of work in the field, I have determined that a good system of furniture for use in a reverent atmosphere should have the following features not heretofore provided.
1. The plurality of pews should have fabric covering on both front and back to lower the noise level and provide a reverent feeling in the sanctuary.
2. The furniture should have a means to absorb energy and lessen wear on the fabric, particularly on the back of the pews.
3. The furniture should have means to compensate for change in dimension or changes in temperature and humidity so as to prevent sagging of any fabric employed.
4. The furniture should incorporate means for obtaining substantially uniform acoustics throughout the sanctuary for easier hearing, yet reduce the overall noise level; without the uncomfortable loudness near large speakers and the diffused, low level of sound (with or without interference patterns) in areas remote from the speakers.
5. In churches, the furniture should have relatively noiseless racks for returning song books and the like for the low noise level and reverent feeling.
6. When the furniture has the features of feature (5), it should provide means facilitating cleaning out of the book racks without requiring long vacuum hoses and the like.
Insofar as I am aware, the prior art has not been satisfactory in providing one or more of the foregoing features. Specifically, the prior art has not be satisfactory in providing furniture that affords all of the features delineated hereinbefore.